We decided what better way to celebrate Tom coming home from a year deployment than to go on another cruise!! It also happens to fit into our scheduled dream of going on a cruise every two years (the last cruise was October 2005).
This time we are trying the Carnival line—specifically, the Miracle. We had an amazing experience with Holland America, and seriously considered going that route again, but decided to be more adventurous and try something new! We did, however, book a balcony suite again, because it was just SO awesome the first time we couldn’t imagine not having it. The thing I can’t wait to see is the lounge/theatre:
A three-level main show lounge fashioned after the Paris Opera House and “The Phantom of the Opera.” White enamel masks and mini candelabras line the maroon and gold walls, and almost feel magical. Stone figures hold up orange “stained glass” lights atop the entryways.
We leave for our 8-Day Western Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale on March 6, 2008, and our route includes stops in Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize:
We haven’t decided what shore excursions we want to do yet, but there are a few we have our eyes on (zip-lining through the rainforest catches my eye!).
We got a good deal for the cruise and will be saving a big chunk of money by driving to Florida instead of flying. I hated to waste the time, but tickets were running around $800—and with the layovers and stops we’d have to make to get there anyway, we figure we’re better off driving. We also have friends in the area who we can visit and/or stay with and/or beg a ride from if we don’t want to leave our car at the port.
We are SOOOOOO excited!